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Post by gillyp on Nov 23, 2016 17:30:01 GMT
Yes I know how to make it. I've been making pie crust for nearly 50 years (good grief did I really write that?) and my husband will not eat shop bought unless it's the steak pie made by the local butcher's wife.
I use a quantity of plain flour, 1/4 that weight in lard and 1/4 in solid margarine or butter, rub the fat in by hand and add cold water to bind. Rest it in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
I treated myself to a Kenwood Chef stand mixer last year, thinking I could speed up my general baking but the pastry was tough and DH could taste the difference. I later read an article by a celebrity chef in which he said not to use a mixer as the results aren't so good so I'm back up to my elbows in flour.
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Post by Ryann on Nov 23, 2016 17:30:40 GMT
I also agree with letting her try, but have a pre-made in the freezer as a back up.
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Post by scrapmaven on Nov 23, 2016 17:31:29 GMT
I'm trying a new piecrust for the first time today and the secret ingredient is two tablespoons of vodka, which is supposed to make the crust super flaky. Vodka really does work. You'll love your piecrust.
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Post by peasapie on Nov 23, 2016 17:44:30 GMT
This seems like the right place to mention my story of the blueberry pie. My daughter asked what pies we are having for Thanksgiving day. I said pecan and I think a free cherry pie from a client. So she said, "I would really like blueberry pie." My future DIL, in the meantime, asked what they can we bring for Thanksgiving dinner? Daughter says, blueberry pie, please! So with this, FDIL decides she will learn to make pie. She borrows my food processor and makes a pie with crust. Doesn’t have a rolling pin and uses a wine bottle. Texts me several times throughout the process for support (though I'm no baker so I can only offer moral support) and eventually texts me to say, “I have made a pie and tested it on my co-workers. It’s pretty good. I would like to make another and bring it for Thanksgiving.” Great, I say. Daughter will be thrilled, as she wanted a blueberry pie. Future DIL says, "Oh blueberry? This was an apple pie I made. Maybe another time I can try blueberry. And your son said he would eat a slice of this if I make it again. (He doesn’t usually eat dessert) ok. I'm easy and it's all good. So I say, "That’s fine. I’ll just pick up a blueberry pie at the store."
Last night I go to the grocery store. Look in the frozen aisle for Mrs. Smith’s pies, cause daughter won’t care and I'm not a pie baker. In the frozen section there are pumpkin. And apple, and cherry. NO BLUEBERRY PIES.
Alrightly. Plan C. I will buy the pre-made crust and go to the baking aisle and buy blueberry pie filling. I get the box with the pie crust from the dairy section and head on over to the baking aisle. There is pumpkin pie filling. There is apple pie filling. THERE IS NO BLUEBERRY PIE FILLING.
Now I'm on to Plan D. I will buy a pre-made pie from the baking section. (Bet you can see this coming...) Plenty of pies in the bakery. Apple pies. Cherry pies. Pecan Pies. Pumpkin Pies. NO BLUEBERRY PIE.
I don't give up. I bought blueberries. Which at this time of year are sold in 6-oz containers for $1 million each. Four containers. A $4 million pie. I HOPE this is the end of the story...but I haven’t actually baked the pie yet...
I would have gone out today to buy a pie elsewhere, but construction guys are in my house all day and also, I'm babysitting grandson.
Do you think this pie I'm going to back will implode in the oven? I'm reading this thread carefully...
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Post by alexa11 on Nov 23, 2016 18:07:51 GMT
I'm using the Pillsbury refrigerated crust and I'll probably screw that up! Good luck!
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Post by happiest.raincloud on Nov 23, 2016 18:20:19 GMT
I learned how to make pie crust when I was 13 and I've made them at least once a year since. It's not so hard but it is important to have everything super cold! I use a pastry blender and wooden rolling pin, and make sure you use plenty of flour when you roll it out. Nothing worse than a perfect crust stuck to the counter.
This year we hosted (did our meal on Sunday) and since I was cooking so many other things too, I used pre-made crust for my pies. I think the Pillsbury in the refrigerator section is a pretty good replacement for homemade.
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Peal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,524
Jun 25, 2014 22:45:40 GMT
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Post by Peal on Nov 23, 2016 18:34:18 GMT
I can make a pie crust easily, I learned from my mom, who learned from her mom, who did everything easily. But my sister can't make crust to save her life. So, I don't think it's hard, but apparently it is hard.
Off to Google vodka pie crust, I'm not assigned pie for tomorrow, but that doesn't mean we can't have some waiting at home anyway.
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Sue
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,234
Location: SE of Portland, Oregon
Member is Online
Jun 26, 2014 18:42:33 GMT
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Post by Sue on Nov 23, 2016 18:40:52 GMT
This seems like the right place to mention my story of the blueberry pie. My daughter asked what pies we are having for Thanksgiving day. I said pecan and I think a free cherry pie from a client. So she said, "I would really like blueberry pie." My future DIL, in the meantime, asked what they can we bring for Thanksgiving dinner? Daughter says, blueberry pie, please! So with this, FDIL decides she will learn to make pie. She borrows my food processor and makes a pie with crust. Doesn’t have a rolling pin and uses a wine bottle. Texts me several times throughout the process for support (though I'm no baker so I can only offer moral support) and eventually texts me to say, “I have made a pie and tested it on my co-workers. It’s pretty good. I would like to make another and bring it for Thanksgiving.” Great, I say. Daughter will be thrilled, as she wanted a blueberry pie. Future DIL says, "Oh blueberry? This was an apple pie I made. Maybe another time I can try blueberry. And your son said he would eat a slice of this if I make it again. (He doesn’t usually eat dessert) ok. I'm easy and it's all good. So I say, "That’s fine. I’ll just pick up a blueberry pie at the store." Last night I go to the grocery store. Look in the frozen aisle for Mrs. Smith’s pies, cause daughter won’t care and I'm not a pie baker. In the frozen section there are pumpkin. And apple, and cherry. NO BLUEBERRY PIES. Alrightly. Plan C. I will buy the pre-made crust and go to the baking aisle and buy blueberry pie filling. I get the box with the pie crust from the dairy section and head on over to the baking aisle. There is pumpkin pie filling. There is apple pie filling. THERE IS NO BLUEBERRY PIE FILLING. Now I'm on to Plan D. I will buy a pre-made pie from the baking section. (Bet you can see this coming...) Plenty of pies in the bakery. Apple pies. Cherry pies. Pecan Pies. Pumpkin Pies. NO BLUEBERRY PIE. I don't give up. I bought blueberries. Which at this time of year are sold in 6-oz containers for $1 million each. Four containers. A $4 million pie. I HOPE this is the end of the story...but I haven’t actually baked the pie yet... I would have gone out today to buy a pie elsewhere, but construction guys are in my house all day and also, I'm babysitting grandson. Do you think this pie I'm going to back will implode in the oven? I'm reading this thread carefully... I love how your name suits this post! Good luck with your 4 million dollar blueberry pie. And now I'd better get off of here because I'm in the middle of making about 7 different pies... all with homemade crust.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 23, 2016 18:49:45 GMT
Ditto what everyone said, ice cold water, cold butter. Or lard, which honestly makes the flakiest crust of all because it melts at a different temperature than butter. Don't overprocess or it gets tough. Having said all that, the pie pie crust I prefer making uses cream cheese in the recipe. Like THIS ONE on allrecipes.com. It's a softer dough because of the cream cheese but it tastes sooo good! Usually I just buy the Pillsbury refrigerated crusts because a lot of people don't eat it anyway so why go to the trouble to make it from scratch?
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Post by Skellinton on Nov 23, 2016 19:06:28 GMT
I hate store made pie crust, it is the only thing Test Kitchen and I disagree on. They are wrong, store bought crust is not the same as homemade crust even a little.
That being said, I personally get a flakier crust from Criso, but I know a lot of people prefer butter. I do agree that you have to be careful not to over handle it and need a pastry cutter. I often don't get all the flour mixture incorpatored before I decide to roll it out, so I just use the leftover bits in the bowl to dust the rolling surface. Pie crust takes less then 10 minutes to make and once you have a good homemade crust you will never go back to store bought,
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Post by papersilly on Nov 23, 2016 19:10:29 GMT
of all the things I've wanted to attempt in my lifetime, basic pie crusts just isn't one of them. it's just so easy and cheap to buy them in the store. OTOH, I enjoy experimenting with crusts for bars.
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Post by librarylady on Nov 23, 2016 20:23:35 GMT
Do not use cheap shortening. I use only Crisco. Lard makes it flakey, but is not a healthy choice.
If you handle the dough very much, the crust will be tough.
Recipe I have used for 50+years
2 cups flour 2/3 cup Crisco Dash salt 6 tablespoons ice water
Cut shortening into flour and salt. Shortening should be about size of pea when done. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Add just enough to make dough hold together. Roll out. Makes 2 pie crusts.
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Post by knit.pea on Nov 23, 2016 21:12:55 GMT
I used Pillsbury this year, but this Martha recipe works great. I use a pastry blender (manual) to cut in the cold butter, and there were lots of small butter chunks left in the dough. I don't use a food processor at all. Martha crust
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